Spring Lake Board of Alderman – Update

At the February 23 Board of Alderman meeting, the board voted and approved to amend the following.

1. Changed the terms of office for the Mayor of Spring Lake from 2 years to 4 years

2. Changed the terms of office for the Board of Alderman from 2 years to 4 years

The Town of Spring Lake will hold municipal elections this November.

Other Business:

N.C. Department of Transportation – Widening of Odell Road

The Board of Alderman is not in full support of this project.  There was heavy discussion on the economic impacts and right-of-way acquisition that could possibly take place.

Timeline: Construction to begin in 2019
Cost: Est. 7.9 million
Project Description: Odell Road will be widened from the current two lanes to four lanes.  Raised 23-foot median will be constructed.  Once construction is completed, Fort Bragg will connect the new road.  The purpose of the project is to support a new Access Control Point (ACP) proposed for Fort Bragg.

Click below for a NCDOT map of the project.

http://www.ncdot.gov/download/projects/publichearings/U5605_Project_Area_Map.pdf

http://www.ncdot.gov/download/projects/publichearings/U5605_VIC_MAP.pdf

What Was Said:

Mayor Chris Rey – “The board doesn’t have a warm and fuzzy about this project.  The key part is the economic impact.”

Update: Interbasin Water Transfer

Hot Button Topic – Proposed Cape Fear River water removal

Background:  The North Carolina Division of Water Resources held public hearings last month.  The purpose of these hearings was to receive input regarding an interbasin water transfer.    The towns that could be receiving additional water are Apex, Cary, Morrisville and parts of the Research Triangle Park.  Based on current data, increases could be in place for the next 30 years.  Currently, 24 million gallons of water is taken PER DAY to parts of Wake County.  The water is then returned to the Cape Fear River.  The proposal would take an additional 9 million a day.  The Department of Engineering and Natural Resources provided data to show that by 2060, western Wake County will have a population of 360,00 which is double what it is currently.

What Has Been Done:  The Cumberland County Board of Commission approved a resolution in oppositions to the transfer.  The resolution offered an alternative to the NCDWR proposal that would prevent and preserve current water levels of the river.

What’s Next:  The North Carolina Enironmental Management Commission will consider the request in March.

Meeting Details: Open to the public

Thursday, March 12
9:00 a.m.
512 North Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC  27604
hearing room – Archdale building

Homeowner Alert! Consent to Rate Letters…What you need to know

Consent to Rate- Three Tips for NC Homeowners

Your insurer is demanding consent for a higher premium – what are your options?

An increasing number of North Carolinians are receiving “consent to rate” letters from their homeowners insurance companies. These letters inform consumers that unless they consent to pay premiums higher than the state maximum set by the Insurance Commissioner, the insurance company may drop the consumers from their coverage plan.

If you receive one of these letters, don’t panic, but don’t ignore the letter. Instead, take a few simple steps to ensure you receive fair and affordable coverage for yourself and your family.

Three simple steps to take if you get a “consent to rate” letter:

Step One: Review your current policy. Do you have the right amount of coverage? Is your deductible too low? Are there other changes you can make to your policy that will reduce your monthly costs?

Step Two: Call your existing insurance company or insurance agent. Some consumers have lowered their premiums by adjusting their coverage. Your insurer may be able to quote you a range of options that don’t require signing an open-ended consent to rate form.

Step Three: No one likes the hassle of changing coverage, but take this opportunity to shop around. Check with other insurance companies for quotes of the coverage you need – you may find a better deal elsewhere.

Stay informed.

Remember to review your coverage every year when your policy renews to ensure you and your loved ones have a fair and affordable plan. While we can’t guarantee that you will find a lower premium or keep your previous rate, the Homeowners Alliance strongly encourages consumers to examine their options before consenting to an insurance company’s higher premium.

Fort Bragg Community Listening Session

Fort Bragg Community Listening Session
February 5, 2015

The purpose of this meeting was to conduct a listening session with the Fort Bragg community with regards to the “Army End Strenth Reductions” from the Budget Control Act of 2011 and the possible impacts to the community.

The following information comes directly from the power point presentation.

  • Driven by the 2011 Budget Control Act and 2012 Defense Guidance, the Army announced it would reduce Active Component (AC) end-strength from 570K to 490K and reduce AC Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) from 45 to 32
  • The Army faces an extremely difficult fiscal environment, with its portion of Budget Control Act/sequester cuts estimated at $95B over 10 years
  • Timely end-strength reductions and structure adjustments in all Army components are necessary to shape a force that can best meet defense strategic requirements within constrained funding
  • The anticipated end-strength reductions and associated socio-economic impacts are expected to be greater than those experienced in the reduction to 490K and will impact most Army installations due to the absence of available mitigating measures

Budgeted Military Construction numbers

FY13 – 237 million
FY14 – 206 million
FY 15 – 121 million
FY15 – 171 million
FY18 – 48 million
FY19 – 133 million
FY20 – 78 million

What Was Said:

LTG Anderson

  • These comments will go to the Force Management division
  • We already have the facts and figures.  We need your say
  • No decisions have been made
  • There will be a decision in early spring and the drawdown will begin in October
  • Right now sequestration is the law of the la

Colonel Jeffrey  Sanborn

  • Military construction will be very constraint going forward
  • Based on sequestration budge of 2011 troops will be cut from 490,000 to 440,000
  • Fort Bragg is the most economical base due to the energy and water here are cheap
  • Waste management is cheap
  • These are all variables
  • A soldier here is cheaper than elsewhere

Major General (Retired) Cornell Wilson – Governor Pat McCrory’s Military Adviser

  • There will be a 60 billion dollar economic impact to the state with troop removal
  • The governor has established a North Carolina Military Affairs Commission
  • This new commission will insure NC as a state to support and protect military installations and improve a soldiers quality of life

NC Representative John Szoka

  • North Carolina is focused on 3 things regarding the military 1) infrastructure and base protection 2) soldiers and families 3) veterans
  • Infrastructure/base protection – I295 is funded, Duke Energy bringing power to the post, legislation passed on encroachment issues, HB 254, HB433
  • Soldiers/families – HB 1060 (identifies students of the military)
  • Veterans – HB 767 (gives retired soldiers with leadership credit with pay when they become teachers in North Carolina

Fayetteville Regional Association of REALTORS® President Queen Wheeler spoke to the group. Her comments are below.

“Almost half of our board  is made up of retirees of family members of active duty retirees or active duty service members.  Many of our members are active duty or retired or veteran service members and we consider Fort Bragg our Fort Bragg and our soldiers.  They are very important to us.  The Fort Bragg active duty civilians, retirees and veterans have bet on Fort Bragg.  The bet on Fort Bragg and they voted for Fayetteville.  They voted for Fayetteville with their investment in property and real estate here in this area for their primary homes as well as their investment homes.  They voted for Fayetteville when they moved their families here and planted them and they depend on us as REALTORS to help them make those decisions and to make smart decisions here and we do that. We as REALTORS act very agressivly in the legislature to further and protect our military members, property rights and to further their rights here in the Fayetteville area. We understand how important it is to them to make sure their families are safe when they deploy and that their children are able to come and transition easily and be able to continue on with traveling soccer, continue dance, continue playing softball….all of those things our committee offers and they do that by investing in real estate in the different areas of Fayetteville.  Fort Bragg soldiers also voted for Fayetteville when they chose to make part of their retirement package investment in realtor properties.  We have many of our rentals owned by soldiers past and present as well as civilians that are on Fort Bragg.  They have invested in Fayetteville and voted for Fayetteville.  They depend on Fort Bragg to stay strong and to continue to grow so that their quality of life continues to grow after they transition out of the military.  So we as REALTORS will continue to be the greatest advocates to Fort Bragg and to the soldiers of Fort Bragg.  We will protect their property rights and further their property rights on their behalf.  We and Fort Bragg and their soldiers feel every single soldier lost and it shows up in our numbers. It has shown up in our numbers today.  Today we have 1,200 to many houses on the market and this translates to a financial hardship for many military families which then goes into their readiness.  We as well as I’m sure at Fort Bragg leadership do not wish this upon our military members at all.  To have financial burdens because they are unable to sell their real estate whenever they are asked to move or leave the military and so it is of great importance that Fort Bragg is not only sustained but it continues to grow and that our market is healthy and the only way to do that is for Fort Bragg again to stay, be sustained and grow and continue to grow so we the Fayetteville Regional Association of REALTORS will always be in support of Fort Bragg and welcome every opportunity to get involved and help Fort Bragg in anyway to continue to succeed and continue to grow.”

Sanderson Farms Update

Joint Public Hearing
Fayetteville City Council
Cumberland County Commissioners
February 2, 2015

An estimated 800 citizens attended the public hearing regarding Sanderson Farms incentives. The majority who spoke were in opposition of the plant coming to Fayetteville.  The public hearing took 5 hours and no decisions were made by the joint delegation.  The economic incentives package will be placed on the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Council and Commission.

Sidebar:  Sanderson Farms has been unavailable for questions to determine if the company is still interested in the Fayetteville location and no one from Sanderson Farms signed up to speak.

Incentives Package  (from the city website)

  • Sanderson will spend at least $95 million to construct and equip a modern poultry-processing plant in the County’s Cedar Creek Industrial Park, which has been annexed by the City of Fayetteville
  • The project will employ at least 975 employees within three years of commencing operations
  • Not less than 60 percent of the company’s employees at this site will be residents of Cumberland County
  • The company will not contract with any producer for the production of chickens on sites located within 10 miles of the project or within one mile of the Cape Fear River in Cumberland County
  • Sanderson will inform the county manager and Fayetteville city manager of any Notices of Violation it receives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for any of its operations in Cumberland County

Economic Incenties (from city website)

  • The County will sell Sanderson land in the Cedar Creek Industrial Park at its fair market value subject to the upset bid process and grant the company a cash incentive equivalent to 50 percent of County general property taxes paid by Sanderson on the assessed value of the improvements constructed on the real property and the personal property and equipment used therein for eachof the first nine years that the project complies with all the terms of the agreement. The estimated total value of these cash incentive payments is $2.5 million;
  • The City will grant Sanderson a cash incentive equivalent to 70 percent of City general property taxes paid by the company on the assessed value of the improvements constructed on the real and personal property and equipment used therein for each of the first 10 years that the project complies with the terms of the agreement;
  • The Fayetteville Public Works Commission will waive 50 percent of its Facilities Investment Fee, estimated to be $2.6 million, as long as the project complies with the terms of the agreement. The estimated total value of these cash incentive payments is $3.8 million;
  • City incentives may include an additional 5 percent general property tax grant back for the period of the agreement if the company achieves negotiated good faith goals in hiring minority and women owned business enterprises either located in Cumberland County or within any county adjoining Cumberland County during the facility construction and an additional 5 percent general property tax grant back if the company hires non-violent felons for the period of the agreement;
  • The economic development incentives agreement may include such other and further terms as are negotiated.

 

City Council meets with the NC Delegation

N.C. General Assembly
State Delegation Meeting
January 5, 2015

NC Delegation Present:
Senators – Ben Clark & Wesley Meredith
House – Rick Glazier, John Szoka, Marvin Lucas & Elmer Floyd

City Council: Full council present

The delegation and council met to discuss legislative topics of interest for 2015.

  •  Reinstatement of privilege license tax revenue
  • Local option sales tax
  • Reinstatement of historic tax credits
  • Rental Action Management Program (RAMP)
  • State transit funding

Reinstatement of privilege license tax revenue
Currently: Bill is law and the municipalities are asking legislators to help find replacement revenue

What Was Said:
(city) – We don’t want to put more pressure on property tax
(legislators) – This is going to be an issue in the long session
(city) – I’d rather spend more on a privilege license tax than a sales tax
(city) – The privilege tax contributed over 1 million to the city annually

Historic License Tax
Currently: Historic Tax Credits expired January 1, 2015.  The City is advocating for the reinstatement of the tax credit.
Background: From 1976 – 2013, the tax credits returned investments of 24.2 million with 17 projects completed.

What Was Said:
(legislators) – The governor supports bringing back the tax

Local Option Sales Tax
Currently: No bill has been filed
Proposal from the City:  Impose a local 1/4-cent sales tax to help lower the property tax rate